1. ARIZONA (30-4) Conference: Pac-12 PPG: 73.1 | OPP: 58.1 Post-ing up: Depth is an issue, but Arizona is potent inside and out, and suffocating on defense, a Final Four favorite with as impressive a front court as there is in the sport. Nick Johnson is as underrated nationally as he is clutch.
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16. WEBER ST. (19-11) Conference: Big Sky PPG: 72.7 | OPP: 66.4 Post-ing up: Davion Berry did what Blazers star Damian Lillard couldn’t — lead Weber State to the NCAA Tournament. After losing in the Big Sky title game three of the previous four years the Wildcats are dancing again.
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
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8. GONZAGA (28-6) Conference: West Coast PPG: 76.9 | OPP: 65.0 Post-ing up: Before VCU, Butler and Wichita State, there was Gonzaga. As mid-major powers have come and gone, the Zags have remained consistent, back in the tournament for the 16th straight season.
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9. OKLAHOMA STATE (21-12) Conference: Big 12 PPG: 80.3 | OPP: 69.1 Post-ing up: The Cowboys are dangerous now that Marcus Smart has found himself after being suspended three games for pushing a fan. Oklahoma State needs Brooklyn product Kamari Murphy to play big inside.
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5. OKLAHOMA (23-9) Conference: Big 12
PPG: 82.2 | OPP: 75.9
Post-ing up: This elite 3-point shooting team has beaten four ranked opponents, and played powerhouse Kansas tough twice. Superior guard play wins this time of year and the Sooners have plenty of depth in that area.
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12. NORTH DAKOTA STATE (25-6) Conference: Summit PPG: 76.4 | OPP: 65.4 Post-ing up: The Bison aren’t going to rush at the offensive end. It’s why they shot a shade over 50 percent from the field, tops in the nation during the regular season, and are in the NCAAs for the second time in program history
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4. SAN DIEGO ST. (29-4) Conf.: Mtn. West PPG: 70.6 | OPP: 56.6 Post-ing up: This was supposed to be a transitional season. Instead, Xavier Thames and Winston Sheppard progressed like few expected and the Aztecs becaome one of the best defensive team in the country.
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13. NEW MEXICO ST. (26-9) Conference: WAC PPG: 77.2 | OPP: 66.9 Post-ing up: New Mexico State is in the field for the third straight season. 7-foot-5, 350-pound center Sim Bullar has drawn notoriety because of his size but guard Daniel Mullings is the Aggies’ engine.K Eldridge (1) celebrates with his team after defeating Idaho 77-55 in the championship of the Western Athletic Conference men’s tournament on March 15.
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3. CREIGHTON (26-7) Conf.: Big East PPG: 79.5 | OPP: 67.4 Post-ing up: The rare four-year superstar, Doug McDermott stole college basketball’s spotlight this season, leading the high-powered offense to a phenomenal first year in the Big East.
Paul J. Bereswill
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14. LA. LAFAYETTE (23-11) Conf.: Sun Belt PPG: 81.4 | OPP: 75.1 Post-ing up: Elfrid Payton and Shawn Long form a dynamic inside-out punch for La.-Lafayette, which rallied from a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation of the Sun Belt title game to reach its first NCAAs in nine years.
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6. BAYLOR (24-11) Conference: Big 12 PPG: 75.2 | OPP: 68.4 Post-ing up: It was a season of streaks for Baylor, beginning with six straight wins, later five losses in a row and seven wins in eight games to close the regular season. Can the Bears get on another roll?
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11. NEBRASKA (19-12) Conference: Big Ten PPG: 67.0 | OPP: 64.9 Post-ing up: The football school redefined its basketball program by reaching the Big Dance for the first time since 1998, ending on the right side of the bubble after 10 wins in their final 12 regular-season games.
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7. OREGON (23-9) Conference: Pac-12 PPG: 81.8 | OPP: 74.0 Post-ing up: Left for dead weeks ago, the Ducks won seven straight games to close the regular season. Fast-paced Oregon could make noise — it certainly has the weapons and the right mojo to be a factor.
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10. BYU (23-11) Conf.: West Coast PPG: 84.8 | OPP: 77.1 Post-ing up: The loss of standout guard Kyle Collinsworth (knee) puts even more pressure on Tyler Haws, one of the nation’s elite scorers who will need to do more in the way of creating for others for the Cougars to be a factor.
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2. WISCONSIN (26-7) Conference: Big Ten PPG: 73.5 | OPP: 64.6 Post-ing up: The Badgers started the season at a school-record 16-0, then followed with five losses in six games, and then an eight-game winning streak. Expect long possessions and tough defense from the Badgers.
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15. AMERICAN (20-12) Conference: Patriot PPG: 63.9 | OPP: 58.6 Post-ing up: After a 10-20 season, the Eagles advanced to their third-ever NCAA Tournament with the nation’s 10th-best defense, which held top-seeded B.U. to 36 points in the conference championship.
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